Ethical Christmas Emporium

I'm in London today at the Bargehouse, OXO Tower Wharf on the South
Bank. I'm helping out Cafe Direct at the Ethical Christmas Emporium.

If you're in London today, why not come over and check it out?

Happy Xmas (War is Over)

Here's a preview of one of the songs we'll be performing at Oxjam Unwrapped to get everyone in the Christmas spirit. A cover of John and Yoko's Happy Xmas (War is Over).

This is taken from our first rehearsal of it so contains the odd mistake here and there (just so we sound better on the night!)

Friends of the Earth CorporateAction: A raw deal for Africa

Here's a couple of the latest campaigns from Friends of the Earth:

			13th November 2008
Call time on global greed Tell Gordon Brown we want a global economic system that works for everyone.		A raw deal for Africa New European trade deals pose a serious threat to forests, biodiversity and livelihoods. Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) will threaten the ability of African governments to protect their environment and achieve sustainable development. In Africa these deals will hand rights to European businesses to exploit natural resources and cause massive problems for local industry. Join the growing resistance around the world. Take action to change the way Europe trades. Email EU Commission President José Manuel Barroso and demand that he stops Europe's destructive trade deals.

Focal Radio interview

It's a bit last minute but if you're near a DAB radio or the internet tonight, you'll be able to hear me being interviewed on Focal Radio, a new radio station in the Staffordshire and Cheshire area.

I'll be on between around 7.15 and 7.45. You can access Focal Radio through www.focalradio.com or by searching for it by name on your DAB radio.

I've been rehearsing with the new band recently and you'll be able to watch us play on 29th November at an Oxjam event in Sandbach to help raise money for Oxfam. More details coming very soon but if you can, keep the date free. It'd be great to see you there.

Goodbye Bush, Hello Obama

Email campaign from Avaaz.org:


After 8 long years of Bush – a fresh start!

Entrenched interests stand in the way, but Obama's victory brings a chance for the US to finally join with the world community to take on pressing challenges on climate change, human rights, and peace.

After years, even decades of distrust, let's seize this moment of unity, reconciliation and hope to send a message of warm congratulations and invitation to work together to the new President and the American people.

We've built a huge wall near the White House in Washington DC where the number of signatures on our message and personal messages from around the world will grow over the next several hours. We've also asked Obama to personally receive our petition from a group of Avaaz members. Let's get to 1 million signers and messages to Obama! Sign on at the link below and forward this email to others:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/million_messages_to_obama/98.php/?cl_tf_sign=1

This is a time for celebration of democracy, but already the sharks are circling – oil companies, war contractors, conservative lobbyists, and the powerful neo-con clique that brought us the war in Iraq are furiously lobbying to dim the prospects for change. Obama has promised national unity, and these interests will ask a high price for that unity.

Let's act quickly to make sure the people of the world are heard as Obama makes crucial choices in the coming days on how to live up to his campaign promises to secure a strong global treaty on climate change, ban torture and close Guantanamo prison, withdraw carefully from Iraq, and double aid to make global poverty history. Rarely has a US President been more likely to listen to us.

We'll make the point that on most of the pressing issues faced by Obama and the American people – from the financial crisis to climate change -- we need to work together as one world to achieve change. Sign below and forward this message on:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/million_messages_to_obama/98.php/?cl_tf_sign=1

With hope,

Ricken, Brett, Alice, Iain, Paula, Paul, Graziela, Pascal, Milena, Graziela and the whole Avaaz team.

PS – Send us a picture of yourself for our wall - email it to obamawall@avaaz.org

PPS – Here's a link to a report on Avaaz's past campaigning – http://www.avaaz.org/en/report_back_2/

PPS - And here's a list of 10 of Obama's campaign promises that concern the world – you can find his full platform here http://www.barackobama.com/issues/:

· Reduce the US's carbon emissions 80 by 2050 and play a strong positive role in negotiating a binding global treaty to replace the expiring Kyoto Protocol.
· Withdraw all combat troops from Iraq within 16 months and keep no permanent bases in the country.
· Establish a clear goal of eliminating all nuclear weapons across the globe
· Close the Guantanamo Bay detention center
· Double US aid to cut extreme poverty in half by 2015 and accelerate the fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculoses and Malaria
· Open diplomatic talks with countries like Iran and Syria, to pursue peaceful resolution of tensions
· De-politicize military intelligence to avoid ever repeating the kind of manipulation that led the US into Iraq
· Launch a major diplomatic effort to stop the killings in Darfur
· Only negotiate new trade agreements that contain labor and environmental protections
· Invest $150 billion over ten years to support renewable energy and get 1 million plug-in electric cars on the road by 2015

People of the Democratic Republic of Congo need your support

  Latest email campaign from Oxfam:

Fierce fighting during the last few days has forced thousands of people to flee from their homes in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Many are finding their way into makeshift camps in the east of the country. Arriving daily, people are now desperately looking for security, food and clean drinking water. Your support is urgently needed – please give to our appeal. Oxfam is already working in four camps in the region but the size of the camps is increasing dramatically as tens of thousands more people flee towards Goma. This sudden influx means we now desperately need to ramp-up our relief efforts. "The numbers fleeing are staggering. People urgently need our help. The latest fighting has spread fear and panic and left many more people living in very harsh conditions." (Juliette Prodhan, DRC Country Director, Oxfam) In the camps, we have set up water tanks and tap stands to give people clean water. We are also providing sanitation facilities and are teaching camp leaders basic health skills to protect families from the spread of life threatening disease. If you have not yet given a donation, please do so today. So long as the fighting in DRC continues, it's not safe for many people to leave the camps and return home. But with your help we can provide them with a clean, safe water supply. Thank you, again, for all you do to help save the lives of the world's poorest people. Our work wouldn't be possible without your support. Cathy Ferrier Fundraising Director, Oxfam GB.   Oxfam works with others to overcome poverty and suffering. Oxfam is a registered charity in England and Wales (no 202918) and Scotland (SCO 039042) and a company limited by guarantee registered in England No 612172 at Oxfam House, John Smith Drive, Cowley, Oxford OX4 2JY. Oxfam GB is a member of Oxfam International. Tel: 0300 200 1300 www.oxfam.org.uk